Brilz Wears Down Davis; Herman Decisions Starnes at Titan FC 28

In a grinding, back-and-forth battle, Jason Brilz
did just a little bit more.

Brilz took a hard-fought unanimous decision over Raphael
Davis in the
Titan Fighting Championship 28 headliner at the First Council
Casino Hotel in Newkirk, Okla., on Friday night. Two judges scored
the light heavyweight contest 29-28 in favor of Brilz (22-5-1),
while a third saw it 29-28 for Davis (13-3).

As indicated by the scorecards, this one was far from easy for the
Omaha, Neb., native. It was Davis who seized the upper hand early,
landing a takedown halfway through the opening round and
maintaining top control until the period ended. Brilz upped his
aggression in the second, landing a pair of takedowns and
threatening with two tight guillotines that Davis was eventually
able to escape.

With the outcome in the balance, Brilz put his stamp on the fight
during the second half of the third round by hammering away with
short punches and elbows with Davis stuck on all fours near the
cage. It was the fourth straight victory for Brilz, who exited the
UFC on the heels of a three-bout skid in 2011.

In the evening’s co-main event, Dave Herman
utilized a significant height and reach advantage to outpoint
Kalib
Starnes in a heavyweight clash. Two judges scored it 29-28 for
“Pee Wee,” while another saw it 30-27 for the five-time UFC
veteran.

While Starnes (16-9-1), who competed in the Octagon as a
middleweight, was game, he was unable to consistently find the
range on his punches against his 6-foot-5 adversary. Kicks to the
body set the tone for Herman (22-6) in round one, as the former
Team Quest member was able to remain on the outside in the opening
five minutes.

Herman found a home for his left hand in the second stanza, at one
point landing about five unanswered straight punches to Starnes’
mug. Starnes was a little busier with his boxing in the final
frame, but he was unable land anything truly significant against
Herman before the bell sounded.

Former college basketball player Walt Harris
recovered nicely from a recent two-fight skid in the UFC, as he
stopped Cage Warriors and Bellator veteran D.J.
Linderman via TKO in the opening round of their heavyweight
tilt. A right hook-left cross combination dropped “Da Protégé,” and
a series of follow-up punches on the ground brought an end to the
contest at the 4:12 mark of the period.

Harris (6-3) set up the finish by hurting his opponent with several
powerful left hands over the course of the initial stanza. On
wobbly legs for much of the frame, Linderman (15-8) held on for as
long as he could against his taller, rangier opponent.

Superior grappling carried Daniel
Roberts to a split verdict (28-29, 29-28, 30-27) over Brock
Jardine in a welterweight matchup. Roberts improves to 15-5,
while Jardine loses his third straight to fall to 9-4.

While Jardine preferred to keep the action standing, Roberts was
able to achieve dominant positions in each round against the Orem,
Utah, native. “Ninja” was able achieve full mount as well as take
his foe’s back on multiple occasions, often as a result of Jardine
becoming too reckless with his kicks. Jardine was able to push the
pace and attack Roberts’ body with some success in round three, but
by then it was too little, too late.

Brian
Foster went the distance for the first time in 28 professional
bouts, capturing a unanimous verdict over “The Ultimate Fighter 17”
veteran Gilbert
Smith in a welterweight showdown. All three cageside judges
scored it 29-28 in favor of the Fiore MMA representative.

Foster (22-6) was the aggressor in the early going, attacking the
larger Smith with punches and knees on the feet and submissions
from his back when taken down. Smith briefly turned the tide in
round two after landing an uppercut to Foster’s groin that was
overlooked by referee Kevin Nix. With
Foster doubled over in pain, the Coloradoan swarmed for the finish.
However, Foster was ultimately able to survive his foe’s
barrage.

“He caught me [with a low blow], but unfortunately the ref didn’t
see it,” said Foster, who promised a move to lightweight after the
bout. “Good for him to keep going. I would have.”

Smith (8-3) did his best work in the third, as he outmaneuvered and
outgrappled Foster for the majority of the period. It was not
enough to sway the scorecards.

Gleristone
Santos (26-4) used a furious barrage of ground-and-pound to
stop Grudge Training Center’s Alvin
Robinson 4:51 into the second round of their featherweight
clash. The Brazilian Top Team representative controlled the
majority of the fight from top position, where he consistently
battered his foe with punches and elbows.

“Toninho Furia” shifted gears in round two, when he took Robinson’s
back and unloaded with a series of unanswered shots in the frame’s
waning moments. With Robinson (13-8) offering little in the way of
defense, Nix had no choice but to halt the bout.